Teacher Pack Key Stage 1 and 2 Teacher Pack 2 Aim of the Teacher Pack This pack aims to help teachers plan a lively educational visit to the Fashion Museum. It includes ideas to use in pre-visit, on site and follow-up activities. Teaching sessions are also available in response to the National Curriculum (2014). Details can be found on our Website (www.fashionmuseum.co.uk) or by ringing 01225 477757. The material is intended to be adaptable for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils, providing a wide range of cross-curricular topics. We suggest that you pick and choose from these activities, according to your topic, focus, time available and your own students! Introduction to the Fashion Museum The Fashion Museum is a collection of historic and contemporary fashions; these are real examples of garments worn by countless people in the past, all of whom considered that they were dressing in the height of fashion. The displays at the Fashion Museum are arranged thematically, so that all our visitors – whether they know a lot or a little about fashion, or indeed whether they love fashion or say they loathe it – can find something of interest, something to debate about either during or after their visit. A History of Fashion in 100 Objects, in the first gallery, is a major exhibition celebrating fashion from the 1600s to the present day. Showcasing 100 star objects drawn from the Fashion Museum’s world-class collection, these displays help to give an instant insight into the era-defining outfits and headline pieces that have shaped our wardrobes over the past 400 years. In the second gallery, Lace in Fashion is the culmination of a two-year project to catalogue the Museum’s extensive archives of lace dating from the 1500s to the present day, supported by Arts Council England. Assisted by expert volunteers from the Lace Guild, we have been able to revaluate how lace is used in the Fashion Museum collection and uncover its journey from craft to catwalk. There is a ‘try it yourself’ area where adults and children can try on replica crinolines and corsets, and a selection of replica pieces. Pre-visit This section is designed to help you plan your visit to the Fashion Museum with the aim of helping the children to understand some of the important issues to do with fashion when investigating the Museum’s displays. Before visiting the Fashion Museum show your group some pictures of the site and things they might see. What does a museum do? Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard, and make accessible artefacts which they hold in trust for all of us. The Fashion Museum has real clothes which were worn by real people. These clothes are kept behind glass, with low lighting to preserve the fabric, otherwise they would eventually disintegrate. The exhibits are changed regularly so that the costumes can ‘rest’ for a while on padded hangers or boxed with acid-free tissue paper. The Fashion Museum therefore allows us to see what we would otherwise only be able to read about and see in pictures. It helps to bring the past alive! Teacher Pack 3 Using the Fashion Museum for a group visit Skills Working in pairs or groups Children will be used to making choices individually then explaining them to the group or class, using key words to talk about objects that they have chosen and seen. Observational Skills On a visit to the Fashion Museum your children will have lots of visual stimulation. They may need help with ways to learn from observation. For example: • Finding an object previously seen in a photograph • Choosing an object which shows their own preference Knowledge Before a visit to the Fashion Museum, children could discuss various issues to do with the clothes they wear: What clothes are your wearing today, (including accessories and shoes)? Why do we wear clothes? Warmth, protection, modesty, uniform, to send ‘messages’ such as “I’m celebrating”. Why do we wear different types of clothes in different seasons? Why do people wear different types of clothes in different parts of the world?’ Climate, tradition, rules, religions etc. Do boys and girls wear the same types of clothes? What kinds of clothes are common to both? Do they wear similar colours? How do we choose our clothes? Influence of friends, magazines, films, T.V. etc. Publications Books you might like to use for literacy work when visiting the Fashion Museum Early years and Key stage 1 Peepo – Janet Ahlberg, Puffin Aliens love underpants – Claire Freedman & Ben Cort, Simon & Schuster Pants – Giles Andreas & Nick Sharratt The princess and the pea – Mini Grey Key Stage 2 The emperor’s underwear – Laurence Anholt, Orchard The man who wore all his clothes – Allan Ahlberg, Walker Books Famous lives: Florence Nightingale – Lucy Lethbridge, Usborne The revealing story of underwear – Katie Daynes, Usborne The fabulous story of fashion – Katie Daynes, Usborne Children’s Wear Fashion Illustration Resource Book – Irina V. Ivanova Teacher Pack 4 Useful Vocabulary fashion – clothes people wear fabric – cloth or textile garment – a piece of clothing pattern – a paper or cardboard template/repeated organisation of shape and colour cotton – fabric or thread made from the cotton plant linen – fabric or thread made from the hemp plant wool – fabric or thread made from the coats of sheep silk – fabric or thread made from the cocoon of the silk worm lace – open decorative work cuff – part of the garment at the bottom of the sleeve collar – part of the garment that is worn around the neck skirt – lower part of a dress – became a separate garment petticoat – 18th century – the underskirt worn with an open-fronted gown. In the 19th century it was the under garment that held out a dress or skirt crinoline – a petticoat of horsehair and linen fashionable from the 1830s and worn to hold out the skirt; in 1856, the crinoline frame was invented which was a series of concentric hooped wires suspended on vertical tapes corset – stiffened and structured undergarment made with whalebone, steel or elastic used to alter the shape of a woman’s bust, waist or hips to suit the fashion of the day underwear – garments worn next to the skin or beneath other garments breeches – garment worn by men, like trousers, but only to the knees shift – loose fitting, knee length woman’s garment worn next to the skin drawers – undergarments worn by men 16th to 19th centuries and from the 1840s worn by women sleeves – the part of a garment which covers the whole or part of the arms waistcoat – a sleeveless garment, often worn for warmth, became part of men’s fashionable dress by the end of the 17th century wig – men and women have worn close fitting wigs to alter the style of their hair, made of animal or human hair and latterly of man made fibres stockings – close fitting coverings for the legs and feet worn by men and women held up just above the knee by garters or suspenders dress – a woman’s garment with a bodice and skirt – also can be used to describe clothing in general embroidery – to ornament a piece of cloth using a needle and thread sewn – way in which pieces of a garment are joined together possibly using a sewing machine stitched – way in which pieces of a garment are joined together – possibly using a sewing machine lapel – triangular pieces of cloth on a standard suit jacket, which are folded back below the throat, leaving a triangular opening between them Teacher Pack 5 Behaviour and what to expect on a visit Some children may never have visited a site like this before and so they need to know a few important facts that will help them get the most from their visit to the Fashion Museum. It is important to remember that the Fashion Museum can sometimes be very busy, particularly in the special exhibition area. We ask that all teachers are aware of the following: • there will be other people there, so best behaviour and being reasonably quiet is really important • children must always be accompanied by an adult • the costumes are all kept behind glass and so it is appreciated if finger and nose prints can be avoided • it is very important to walk and not run in the Museum, bearing in mind the huge area of glass and consideration for others Organising your visit How to book Please book all visits in advance, including a self-guided trip. This helps us to ensure all resources are in place to make your visit enjoyable and purposeful. Contact our Group Bookings office on 01225 477785 for details. Teacher Tips • When visiting the Fashion Museum, it can be useful for the children to bring clipboards and pencils. Colouring pencils might also be considered. • It is a good idea to organise your class into smaller groups, with each group’s responsible helper identified clearly to your children before arriving. • We have found that sticky labels help each child remember which group they are in. In smaller groups children can comfortably see what it is they are studying. Working in smaller groups also means groups can start work in different parts of the museum at the same time. • There is an audio guide available for all to use at no extra charge. The audio guide is probably best used by the teacher in charge. A pre-visit will allow you to find out more about the Fashion Museum and reconnoitre the site.